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Biological Control of Desert Locust (Schistocerca Gregaria Forskål)

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Biological Control of Desert Locust (Schistocerca Gregaria Forskål) CAB Reviews 2021 16, No. 013 Biological control of desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forskål) Eunice W. Githae* and Erick K. Kuria Address: Department of Biological Sciences, Chuka University, P.O. Box 109-60400, Chuka, Kenya. *Correspondence: Eunice W. Githae. Email: [email protected], [email protected] Received: 03 September 2020 Accepted: 05 January 2021 doi: 10.1079/PAVSNNR202116013 The electronic version of this article is the definitive one. It is located here: http://www.cabi.org/cabreviews © CAB International 2021 (Online ISSN 1749-8848) Abstract Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forskål) is one of the most serious agricultural pests in the world due to its voracity, speed of reproduction, and range of flight. We discuss the current state of knowledge on its biological control using microorganisms and botanical extracts. Metarhizium flavoviride was among the first fungus to be recognized as a bio-control agent against desert locust in the laboratory and field conditions. Nevertheless, its oil formulation adversely affected non- target organisms, hence led to further research on other microorganisms. Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum (syn. Metarhizium acridum) is an environmentally safer bio-pesticide that has no measurable impact on non-target organisms. However, there are various shortcomings associated with its use in desert locust control as highlighted in this review. Bacterial pathogens studied were from species of Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Serratia. Botanical extracts of 27 plant species were tested against the locust but showed varied results. Azadirachta indica and Melia volkensii were the most studied plant species, both belonging to family Meliaceae, which is known to have biologically active limonoids. Out of the 20 plant families identified, Apiaceae was the most represented with a frequency of 21%. However, only crude botanical extracts were used and therefore, the active ingredients against desert locust were not identified. Through a comprehensive research, an integrated pest management strategy that incorporates these bio-controls would be a realistic option to control desert locust infestations. Keywords: bio-control, bio-pesticides, desert locust, microorganisms, botanical extracts Review Methodology: Research questions were raised using PICO (population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes) and then validated to ensure that they had not been addressed by any other publications. In this case, P-desert locust, I-Bio-control, C-use of chemical pesticides, and O-success of application. A systematic review was then carried out using various keywords. The following search engines and databases were used: Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, FAO Desert Locust Information Service, CABI, and HINARI. Titles and abstracts were screened followed by full-text downloading and analysis. Some authors were contacted for full publications where only the abstracts were available. Introduction which is approximately 20% of the earth’s surface [3]. In 1 day, the swarm is capable of consuming the same amount Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forskål) is one of the of food as approximately 35,000 people, with each locust most serious agricultural pests in the world due to its consuming about its own weight of green vegetation [4]. voracity, speed of reproduction, and range of flights, which The plagues are associated with great economic losses can cause huge damage to all plant species [1]. A single hence require urgent attention to safeguard livelihoods swarm can comprise of up to 80 million locusts per square and the environment. kilometer and can fly more than 100 km in the direction of Desert locust invasion is usually restricted to the semi- prevailing winds to cover an area of about 1200 square arid and arid deserts of Africa that receives less than kilometers per day [2]. If left uncontrolled, desert locust 200 mm of rainfall annually [5]. In 1986–1989, desert locust can invade a total area of 28 million square kilometers, plague affected 43 countries after heavy rains. This plague http://www.cabi.org/cabreviews 2 CAB Reviews ended mainly because of control operations and unusual vegetation [16]. If these conditions are unfavorable, the winds that blew swarms across the Atlantic Ocean [6]. swarm migrates until it encounters favorable breeding A similar swarm was witnessed from 2003 to 2005 conditions, which may be thousands of kilometers away where more than 20 countries suffered with an estimated [12]. Effective preventive management strategy should 80–100% loss of crops especially in sub-Saharan Africa [7]. therefore not only rely on the knowledge of the pest During this time, control operations treated nearly biology and ecology but also on the environmental factors 130,000 per square kilometers of the locust infestation associated with its spread. area. The operation took 2 years and spent more than US$ Repeated outbreaks of desert locust in Africa have 400 million to end the plague [6]. Between 2019 and 2020, prompted the use of chemical pesticides as the main exceptional locust breeding was observed in the horn of preventive and control measures. Most of the locust Africa [4]. This magnitude of invasion had not been control measures carried out over the years have used witnessed for more than 70 years in East Africa. A conventional chemical insecticides (organochlorines, prediction model demonstrated that vast areas of Kenya, organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids) that are northeastern regions of Uganda, and some regions of usually neurotoxic to the locust [17]. Although chemical Southern Sudan were at high risk of providing a breeding pesticides may provide an effective means of control due environment for the locust [8]. The onset of long rains to prolonged activity of the spray residue, increased season in East Africa would also remarkably increase the attention has been raised concerning environmental swarms, threatening food security and livelihoods [4]. This damage and human safety [18]. After treatment with rapid and sudden upsurge could be attributed to erratic chemicals, death of insects occurs within hours, making it climatic behavior that is triggered by global warming [9]. difficult to monitor the effects of spray applications However, predictions are mainly based on ecological especially for highly mobile species [19]. As an upsurge aspects but should also integrate the social, economic, and starts, only a few locusts are aggregated into treatable cultural aspects for effective control measures. targets and hence spraying leaves out many individuals that Desert locust is able to change its behavior and continue the upsurge and become aggregated at high physiology in response to environmental conditions, densities [13]. Some chemical insecticides have been transforming the swarms from harmless solitary insects to effective at preventing desert locust outbreaks at very destructive cohesive ones [10]. This feature allows locusts early stages of invasion under Saharan condition but they to survive some of the harshest environmental conditions simultaneously induce heavy mortality in some non-target on earth. Seasonal migration of the desert locust is insect groups [20]. Besides, the outbreaks occur in influenced by various factors such as rainfall, temperature, environmentally sensitive areas especially wetlands, near wind, and vegetation [11]. Favorable conditions for human settlements and to some extent in the protected breeding are moist soils to depths of 10–15 cm, moist bare areas with numerous migratory birds [21]. In East Africa, areas for egg-laying, and green vegetation for hopper current management strategy for desert locust swarms is development [12]. Sparse and erratic seasonal rains aerial spraying with chemical pesticides, which has affected support phase change from their solitary lifestyle to a humans, livestock, and the environment [8]. The concern group lifestyle (gregarious phase) that develop into an regarding use of chemical pesticides provides impetus for upsurge and eventually into a plague [13]. These density- investment in alternative means of control that are dependent changes are adaptations for migration under environmentally friendly and sustainable, such as bio- heterogeneous environmental conditions. For instance, a pesticides [13, 22] even though much remains to be done research study estimated the density of gregarization of in terms of research and implementation. desert locust hoppers in vegetation and reported that Successful control of desert locust will require the vegetation cover and height were the only characteristics development of an integrated pest management program that could enhance prediction of locust phase status [14]. using a variety of products that can be applied with a range A related study reported that low cover and dry vegetation of techniques that are appropriate in different habitats and led to a low density of gregarization while dense and green circumstances [23]. This must be associated with reduced vegetation favored a high density of gregarization, probably pesticide application, economic costs, environmental risks, due to a dispersion rate of the individuals. Another and duration and extent of the locust threat [24]. Proposed experiment explored the influence of vegetation patterns products include bio-pesticides from plants and on gregarization and showed that when the distribution of microorganisms. They are recommended because of their the vegetation was patchy, the locusts were more active,
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